Lynn C. Woolsey: “I rise to join my colleagues today in honoring the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the genocide…”

“I rise to join my colleagues today in honoring the memory of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished during the genocide of 1915. This horrible period still haunts us today, and the memory of the men, women and children who perished remains. This was the first true genocide of the 20th century. Despite the atrocities which occurred at the hands of the Turkish Empire, despite the documentation, the eyewitnesses reports, and countless publications which describe these atrocities, some people continue to deny that this crime against humanity actually took place. Kemal Ataturk, the father of the modern Republic of Turkey, stated that the perpetrators of these crimes: ``* * * should have been made to account for the lives of millions of our Christian subjects who were ruthlessly driven enmass, from their homes and massacred * * *'' And, yet, the denial continues today, dishonoring those who perished and prolonging the suffering of survivors. If the international community is serious about preventing crimes against humanity, it is essential for us to recognize the atrocities that occurred against the Armenian people at the beginning of this century, by honoring the memory of 1.5 million men, women and children who perished.”